This will be my first forum post here in Airline Pilot Central so I figured I'd attempt to make it a good one. Currently, I'm 32 years old, been in the USAF for 14 years, C-9A/ C-130E/H flying crew chief, currently an E-6 and have a little less than 6 years until I retire from active duty - at the tender age of 38. I'm starting my flying lessons this month, going to start out with twice a month here in Germany at Coleman Barracks in Mannheim at first and see if I can increase the frequency gradually. I'm under the impression that GI's can use their GI Bill for flight training, which will pay a certain percentage of their flight training after private pilot so if that is the case I might be able to pull this off before I'm 40 (CFI/CFII/Commercial/ME). My aspirations to be an airline pilot are quite lofty, since I am getting quite a late start in the game but I caught the bug when I was a flight engineer on C-130s back in the day, got my 'air legs' - I've been hooked ever since. I'm a grown man, been on the block for a minute now so I am one of those "oldheads" in my own right so I'm not expecting all the answers or for anyone to make my mind up for me, but it is you folks here in the forums who are there and have been there - I've been reading these forums for about 2 months now, you folks have a wealth of information to give, from the puddle jumping 16 year old in the 172, to the Navy E-2 guy flying orbits; from the CFI teaching the "puddle jumping 16 year old in the 172" to the big ballin' super duper senior 747 captains. I have a plan to get this accomplished, but I would like to hear from the professionals....

Feel free to sound off. Fly safe. Always.

 

If you were to post in the cargo forums, or even ask the Airtran, JB, SW, posters what the age range is in a newhire class you will probably be surprised. If you are getting out at 38, if you dont slack and make it to a major/legacy/cargo carrier by say 42-45, I seriously doubt you will be an age minority.

Good luck.

 

you are not to old. If you retire at 38 and have your ratings by then you can make it work. Hopefully the FAA will raise the age this month to 65 and that will give you a little boost.

 

I was 35 when I started interviewing with regionals. I was never the most senior one in the class. In fact the place I chose to work for various reasons, quality of life and pay being neither, had me #5 out of 12 in my class.

If you want to stack boxes until you turn 70 at the grocery store that is fine but if you got the bug and want to enjoy everything that aviaiton has too offer it is never to late in my opinion. If you are looking to make 5 million dollars by the end of your career Aviaiton is not the best choice.

Get the ratings ASAP. I believe the GI bill pays 40% after private. It may even pay for a school like ATP. A place like that by time you retire should get from Zero to Hero in under about 9 months. You'll bang down a thousand hours a year and upgrade in 3 years at most regionals. Maybe sooner if you go with a Turbo Prop carrier Get the 121 PIC and move on to a company Flying bigger gear for the next ten to 15 years and you'll make enough to survive/save and enjoy.

Seeing as though you have worked most of your life, vs most of the guys here will cry about how bad it blows you'll find that it isn't hard, pays ok and can be a lot of fun if you make it.

Good Luck

-Grounded-

 

I'm a regional pilot who used the GI Bill for part of my training, and also worked at a flight school where I processed MGIB paperwork for the students.

Some comments on the GI Bill:

You need to get your PPL on your own nickel.

Most flight training is done under the regulations of FAR part 91 (actually 14 CFR 91), which allows a lot of flexibility.

The VA will pay 60% of most, but not all training costs for post-PPL.

In order to protect veterans, the VA requires that in order to use the GI Bill you must attend a part 141 school. There are a number of issues here:

1) Part 141 is more regimented than 91, and must use a set curriculum. This is good in some ways, but also reduces your flexibility. If you are a self-starter and can study well on your own, 141 will probably force you to attend more formal training than you would have needed otherwise.

2) Part 141 allows you to take your "checkride" from an in-house examiner. Also you cannot fail a 141 checkride, they are either complete or incomplete, so there is no record of failing an FAA checkride

3) Part 141 allows you to complete ratings with less flight hours than part 61, but many people actually need more than the minimum hours anyway.

4) Most schools charge more for 141, so even if you can do it in fewer hours than 91, you still pay. Some unscrupulous schools charge WAY more for 141, since few people except VA students use it...basically you pay the same out-of-pocket as you would have without the MGIB, and the school keeps your VA money! When talking to schools, try to avoid letting them know you are military until you get quotes on everything.

Bottom, line MGIB is a great deal for college, but not so much for flight training. Normally I would say save the MGIB for your college degree, but at your age you may be planning on staying at the regionals in which case the degree is not mandatory (but helpful at the better regionals).

If you want to work for a major airline, you WILL need a degree, regardless of what anyone may tell you. If that is your goal try your d*mndest to get all of your ratings (including CFI/CFII/MEI) and either start instructing before you retire, or be ready to start instructing the day after you retire. Age 65 may help you in this regard.

 

Go for it! Just be ready when you retire from military so you can have a quick transition.

 

Yep, I'm here in Germany for 3 of these last 6 years on active duty, I'll have a bachelors degree from Embry Riddle by the end of next year, at the rate I'm going. The MGIB will probably lay in the cut for the most part until I need it because tuition assistance covers the costs of classes when you're on active duty. Good lookin' out on the differences between 91 and 141 - I'm going to look up the FARs and find out more and see what info I can shake down from the VA.

 

Yeah, jets are cool but I'm partial to turboprops for obvious reasons .
Plus that new Bombardier Q400 looks and sounds like it's the one hitter quitter..a straight knockout!

I figure if I can fix jets and fly into combat zones armed with a toolbox in one hand and a pistol in the other, being a civilian pilot can't be all bad. With that being said I don't expect it or the road to becoming a pilot to always be fun or easy...but I do believe in that it is very possible for me to get down to business and "do the d*mn thang".

 

Whatever kind fan it has making it go, just get on where you can upgrade the fastest. I assume you keep in contact with the guys you share an airplane with that have moved on to the civ/airline side? If not, you better start networking. If so, it won't matter what your time is in if you can use them as contacts/sponsors to get an interview. Contrary to popular belief, jet or prop won't matter as long as you meet the mins and have friends to help you out.

 

you would be a shoe in for Netjets, and other frax. you can work as long as you have a first class medical. I just flew with one of our guys that is 71 yo!!! he isn't planning on retiring anytime soon. heck he makes 130k and works 21 weeks a year why quit??